Demountable pick-up truck tonneau cover

Abstract

A demountable tonneau cover for enclosing the open top of a pick-up truck cargo box comprises a relatively light-weight laminated panel which fits onto the open top of the cargo box to enclose the cargo space. Two pairs of spring-loaded pins are mounted on the interior of the cover along opposite sides for releasably latching the cover to the sides of the cargo box. These pins are inaccessible from the exterior of the cargo box when the cover is on the box. Cables extend from the spring-loaded pins through passages within the cover to pull handles which are also mounted on the interior of the cover adjacent the rear edge. The pins are normally biased to extended positions for fitting into holes in the sides of the cargo box and thereby latching the cover in place on the cargo box. When the pull handles are operated, the pins are retracted out of the holes thereby allowing the cover to be displaced from the position enclosing the cargo space. The pull handles are inaccessible when the cover is in place on the box for enclosing the cargo space and the tailgate forming the rear of the cargo box is closed, but they are rendered accessible when the tailgate is opened. The tailgate is locked by a key-operated lock thereby prohibiting access to the pull handles, and hence preventing access to the cargo space or removal of the cover without a key for unlocking the tailgate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a pick-up truck having a chassis-mounted cargo box comprising a generally horizontal floor and a generally vertical wall structure cooperating with said floor to form a cargo space which is bounded on the bottom by said floor and laterally by said vertical wall structure, but which is open at the top, said vertical wall structure including a gate which is movable from a position laterally bounding the cargo space to a position which does not laterally bound the cargo space, and a tonneau cover cooperating with the open top of the cargo box to enclose the cargo space at the top, the improvement which comprises: said cover comprising a relatively rigid, but relatively light-weight, panel, which, when disposed in cooperative relationship with the open top of the cargo box to enclose the cargo space, is generally horizontally disposed, said panel comprised of a relatively rigid plastic cellular core, a thin upper outer skin bonded to the upper and outer surfaces of the cellular core and a thin lower wall joined to the cellular core;   means for releasably securing said panel to said vertical wall structure comprising at least one releasable latch disposed at a selected location for performing a releasable latch function between the panel and said vertical wall structure, means for operating said releasable latch from latching to non-latching condition, said means for releasing said latch being substantially within the interior of the lightweight panel, including at least one operator means which is remote from said releasable latch and which, when the panel is disposed on the box in covering relation to the cargo space and the gate is in laterally bounding relation to said cargo space, is inaccessible for operation;   and means for releasably locking said gate in laterally bounding relation to said cargo space by means of a key-operated mechanism which is accessible for operation exterior of the cargo space.   
     
     
       2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 in which said latch comprises a pin which is carried by said panel and which, in latching condition, passes into a hole in said side, and, in non-latching condition, is free of said hole. 
     
     
       3. The improvement set forth in claim 2 including means for resiliently biasing said pin toward latching condition. 
     
     
       4. The improvement set forth in claim 3 in which said operator means is carried by said panel and said means for operating said releasable latch comprises a cable extending from said pin to said operator means and disposed in a cable-locating guide in said panel. 
     
     
       5. The improvement set forth in claim 4 in which said operator means comprises a pull handle which is disposed at a marginal edge portion of said panel which is juxtaposed to said gate, and said pull handle is arranged for motion along a direction which is transverse to the direction of motion of said pin between latching and non-latching conditions. 
     
     
       6. The improvement set forth in claim 1 in which said means for releasably locking said gate is carried by said panel along said marginal edge portion of said panel and comprises a pawl which is operable into and out of locking engagement with said gate. 
     
     
       7. The improvement set forth in claim 1 in which there are two pairs of said releasable latches, one pair at one marginal edge portion of said panel and the other pair at another marginal edge portion of said panel, said two marginal edge portions of said panel being parallel with each other. 
     
     
       8. The improvement set forth in claim 7 in which the two latches of each pair are carried by said panel and are spaced apart from each other longitudinally, and at least one of said latches comprises a horizontal pin which translates axially between latching and non-latching conditions. 
     
     
       9. The improvement set forth in claim 8 in which at least one latch of each said pair comprises said horizontal pin, and the pin of said at least one latch of said one pair is coaxial with the pin of said at least one latch of said other pair. 
     
     
       10. The improvement set forth in claim 8 in which both said latches of each pair comprises said horizontal pin and each pin of said one pair is coaxial with a corresponding pin of said other pair. 
     
     
       11. The improvement set forth in claim 10 in which each pin is operated between latching and non-latching conditions by a corresponding individual one of said operator means, said means being carried by said panel and disposed along another marginal edge portion of said panel which extends between the first-two-mentioned marginal edge portions of said panel and which is juxtaposed to said gate. 
     
     
       12. The improvement set forth in claim 11 in which said operator means are guided on said panel for horizontal translation along directions which are transverse to the directions of translation of said pins. 
     
     
       13. The improvement set forth in claim 12 in which the pins translate in parallel paths and said operator means translate along parallel paths, the paths of of said operator means being at 90 degrees to the paths of said pins when said releasable latches are operated from said latching to said non-latching conditions. 
     
     
       14. The improvement set forth in claim 12 in which said means for releasably locking said gate is carried by said panel at said another marginal edge portion of said panel. 
     
     
       15. The improvement set forth in claim 14 in which said means for releasably locking said gate comprises a pawl which is operable into and out of locking engagement with said gate, and said pawl is disposed on said panel such that the operator means for said one pair of latches are to one side of said pawl along said another marginal edge portion and the operator means for said other pair of latches are to the other side of said pawl along said another marginal edge portion. 
     
     
       16. The improvement set forth in claim 12 in which each pin is operatively coupled to its operator means by a cable which is disposed within its own cable-locating guide in said panel. 
     
     
       17. The improvement set forth in claim 8 including two pairs of lifting handles on said panel, one pair of handles at said one marginal edge portion of said panel, and the other pair of handles at said another marginal edge portion of said panel, the handles of each pair being spaced apart from each other, and each handle being grippable at the top exterior portion of said panel when extended upwardly to gripping position from a non-gripping position wherein the handles are substantially flush with upper surface of said panel and cannot be gripped for carrying. 
     
     
       18. The improvement set forth in claim 1 in which said at least one latch comprises a pin which is carried by said panel and which, in latching condition, passes into a hole in said vertical wall structure, and, in non-latching condition, is free of said hole, said panel further including a prop which is carried by said panel and has a free end capable of fitting said hole, and wherein said means for releasably securing said panel to said vertical wall structure comprises means for pivotally mounting said panel to said vertical wall structure for pivotal motion about a horizontal axis spaced from said hole, and said prop is so arranged on said panel for stowage essentially co-planar with said panel and for propping said panel in a non-horizontal position pivoted about said axis by fitting of said free end of said prop into said hole. 
     
     
       19. The improvement set forth in claim 1 including a weatherstrip seal extending peripherally around said panel into sealing engagement with said vertical wall structure. 
     
     
       20. In a pick-up truck having a chassis-mounted cargo box comprising a generally horizontal floor and a generally vertical vertical wall structure cooperating with said floor to form a cargo space which is bounded on the bottom by said floor and laterally by said vertical wall structure, but which is open at the top, said vertical wall structure comprising side walls extending fore and aft along opposite sides of the cargo space and a tailgate extending between said side walls along the rear of the cargo space, said tailgate being movable from a position laterally bounding the cargo space to a position which does not laterally bound the cargo space, and a tonneau cover cooperating with the open top of the cargo box to enclose the cargo space at the top, the improvement which comprises: said cover comprising a relatively rigid, but relatively light-weight, panel, which, when disposed in cooperative relationship with the open top of the cargo box to enclose the cargo space, is generally horizontally disposed, said panel comprised of a relatively rigid plastic cellular core, a thin upper outer skin bonded to the upper and outer surfaces of the cellular core and a thin lower wall joined to the cellular core; means for releasably securing said panel to said vertical wall structure comprising two pairs of pins, one pair disposed on said panel for fitting into corresponding holes in one of said side walls, and the other pair disposed on said panel for fitting into corresponding holes in the other of said side walls, at least certain of said pins being movable into and out of the corresponding holes for enabling said panel to secured to and released from said vertical wall structure, operator means carried by said panel adjacent said tailgate for operating said certain movable pins and disposed such that when the panel is disposed on the box in covering relation to the cargo space and the gate is in laterally bounding relation to said cargo space, said operator means is inaccessible for operation;   and means for releasably locking said tailgate in laterally bounding relation to said cargo space by means of a key-operated mechanism which is accessible for operation exterior of the cargo space.   
     
     
       21. The improvement set forth in claim 20 in which all said pins are operated by said operator means for movement into and out of the corresponding holes. 
     
     
       22. The improvement set forth in claim 21 in which said means for releasably locking said tailgate is carried by said panel.